[Bayerdynamic]

After having settled on my home setup, I'm looking for a closed portable headphone for unamped and amped use with an old Porta Corda (white colour). I will mainly use the headphone unamped but also occasionally amped. My budget is $200. Therefore, I'd like to ask a few questions:

1. Which one do you recommend for amped (unamped) use?
2. Is the Porta Corda enough to drive all the mentioned headphones?
3. How does the new Beyer DT660 compete with the aforementioned headphones for portable use? Is it portable at all?
4. Are there other headphones to consider?
5. How do similarly priced canalphones compare (sound quality only)?

For those who own any of these headphones or have heard them, I would appreciate your opinion on this. Thank you for your answers in advance.

 

[mattigol]

I say count the Ultrasones out for their fatueging highs, or find a good way to tone them down (opamp rolloing maybe). They will give you exemplary soundstage though.

I guess Senns or AKGs should do it for you, if you search you will find them to be preferred by general consensus over the other models mentioned.

M!

 

[1UP]

660 is heavy and too big for portable, IMHO. Similarly the 271 is bulky.

I'd choose between the DT250 and the HD25-1.

 

[Nak Man]

Not much of a help, but at least this will fill in some blanks:

a. SQ amped: 1. 271s 2. hd25 .. .. .. hfi650
b. SQ unamped: 1. hd25 2. 271s .. .. .. hfi650
c. Portability: 1. hd25 .. .. .. ... 271s hfi650

still so many blanks left ?

Oh well, if you're more into SQ: 271s, if you need isolation and portability: hd25. Hfi650 sound just don't click with my taste, a bit too harsh.

Audio Technica A900 are also quite popular here, although their mids sound thin to my ears, compared to the above akg and senn.

 

[rnd]

The ultrasones are nice in general, but what killed them for me what the siblance in the highs. I couldn't listen to trumpets or female voices with them - it just hurt. Too bad because they did some other things very nicely. The HD25 is very nice. A little edgy and you have to be OK with an in-your-face presentation similar to Grados. Nice portable solution I think. Either of these shows little change amped vs unamped in my experience. I've not heard the AKG's, but reports seem to indicate they are very nice as long as they are run through a good amp. The Beyer DT250 sounded very different to me - I won't knock them, but be sure you can give them a listen and return them if you don't like them.

 

[skyskraper]

the ultrasone sound just takes some getitng used to. after you do, its hard to listen to a lot of other cans. the high's and mids can be fatigueing, but i only found them fatigueing at excessive volume levels, at regular to loud i have no problems with them whatso ever. so much so that i bought a second pair.

i highly reccomend trying them out.

 

[rnd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyskraper the ultrasone sound just takes some getitng used to. after you do, its hard to listen to a lot of other cans.

I really liked they way they did acoustic guitar. Folk, Nickle Creek, etc.

 

[skyskraper]

sorry you've lost me....

 

[desertracer]

How about the Audio-Technica ATH-A900? I just ordered one last nite, USD$199 from Audiocube.com

 

[rnd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyskraper sorry you've lost me....

All I'm saying is acoustic music - specifically strings (like guitars, mandolin, banjo, etc.) were done extrememly nice on the Ultrasones. I liked it, that's all.

 

[sc53]

I can't answer all of your questions, but I own or have owned Beyer 250-80's, ATH AT900's, and AKG 271's. The AKG 271's do NOT fit those with smaller heads, they slide around and will fall off if you even look down while you're reading. They also need an amp and take a while to break in. Great sound if you sit still. The Beyer's are my favorite portable closed phones. They sound better and are smaller in size than the AT900's. I find the sound richer, more detailed, and with more bass than the AT900's unamped out of my iPod (Apple Lossless music tracks). Neither the Beyers nor the ATH AT900's need an amp.

 

[philodox]

As long as you can get a proper fit with them the AKG K271 Studio is the best closed headphone that provides isolation that I have heard.

 

[botagrox]

I too am also looking for closed cans (after deciding against canal phones). I am a student and do a lot of work in computer labs here at school. I have Sony MDR-CD580s and I've had them for several years, but I can't wear them for very long because of the setup of the headband. (Looks similar to the AKGs). They give me awful headaches because they push down on my head. How do the 250s fit? Anyone have a large head that could help with this? I'm looking for something that can be worn for several hours at a time. Portability is not a huge issue, because I can easily put something in my backpack when I know I'm going to be out working for a while. I listen to rock, jazz, and classical and have a cmoy amp.

Also wondering how the 250s (and comparable headphones) compare to other open cans in the same price range.

 

[philodox]

The AKG's are extremely comfortable, I couldnt see headaches being caused by them.

 

[Helter Skelter]

I agree that the K271 is quite comfortable. Not quite as much as my HD595s, but I certainly don't have a problem wearing them for extended periods. I really like the headband, in particular. They're pretty secure on my head, I don't worry about them falling off when I'm out and about (they're my portable cans), but they're not the uncomfortable vice grip of the HD280.

A Porta Corda should be able to drive them no problem. Unamped is decent (better than I was expecting), but don't expect great feats of volume from them without one. As has been mentioned, sound quality is excellent.